Apparatus for the automatic regulation of the hydraulic brakes of guns



APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1919.

E. SCHNEIDER. APPARATUS FOR THE'AUTOMATIC REGULATION OF THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES 0F GUNS.

Patented Mar. 9; 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. SCHNEIDER.

APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC REGULATION OF THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES OF GUNS.

AFPLlCATlON FlLED MAR-31,1919.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-QHhET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, or PARIS, FRANCE, assrenon TO SCHNEIDER & 01s., or rams,

FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY or FRANCE. 1

APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC REGULATION OF THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES 0F GUNS.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, EUGDNE SoHNEIDEn, a citizen of the French Republic. and a resident of 42 Rue dAnjou, Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Improved Apparatus for the Automatic Regulation of the Hydraulic Brakes of Guns, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification. I Y

This'invention consists in improvements in that type of hydraulic brakes for guns, that comprises in the known manner a brake piston having a hollow piston rod attached to the fixed part orto the recoiling part, and

adapted to move in a-cylinder and also along a counter-rod of peculiar profile, both of fire; this said elevation being of itself prejudicial to the stability of the gun.

According to this invention the maintenance of a constant length of the recoil at different elevations of the un barrel is assured by an automatic adiu tment of the initial position of the throttling member or diaphragm relati ely to the counter-rod of peculiar profile. For this purpose the throttling member is made capable of longitudinal movement in the piston, this movement taking place automaticallv and in proportion to the elevation of the gun barrel. by reason of a connection being established between it and the elevating mechanism, or simply between it and the elevation movements of the gun barrel.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of exam le in the accompanying drawings in which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

' Application filed March 31, 1919. Serial No. 286,491.

Fig. 4 is a section drawn to a larger scale on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

In the illustrated example it is assumed that the brake cylinder A is fixed to the recoiling part, that is to say, the gun slide B and the gun barrel C; it has fixed to its rear end a the counter-rod D of peculiar profile which is fitted at its free end with theusual valve D of the devicefor moderating the running out of the gun again into the firing position. The brake piston E which is movable in the cylinder A and incloses in its cavity the counter-rod D. is attached by the end e of its rod E to a fixed part of the gun, such as for instance the gun cradle F.

In the recoil, the braking is produced in the known manner bv'the throttling of the passage of the liquid from the front to the back of the cylinder A through the annular space left between the throttling member or diaphragm G and the outer surface of the peculiarlv profiled counter-rod D.

Ac ording to the present invention the throttling member G is capable of longitudinal movements in thepiston E which are produced automatically in dependen e on the nechanism for elevating the gun barre In the example shown the piston E is screwthreaded internally so as to constitute a nut for an-external crewthread on the throttling member G. The longitudinal displacement of the throttling member in the piston is due to a rotational movement of the piston rod E derived from the elevation movement of the gun barrel, and also to the guidance of the throttling member G on the counter-rod D. For this purpose the throttling member G is formed with two tenons' g engaged in grooves d in the counter-rod. The rotation of the piston rod E proportionately to the elevation of the gun barrel is efl'ected as follows A pinion H fixed on an extension of the piston rod E. gears with a toothed wheel I fixed on a shaft J journaled in bearings 7' formed on the cradle F. A bevel pinion K fixed on the said shaft .T, is driven by a bevel wheel L fixed on a shaft M that is journaled in a bracket 1 attached to the cradle F. The bevel wheel L is attached to a pinion L that gears with a toothed se tor N provided on the gun carriage frame 0.

" Owing t0..the above described gearing of-the piston to theother during the relative every displacement of the gunbarrel C produces .a rotational movement oflthe thread in the piston E If the-throttling member G is situated in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2' when the gun barrel is horizontal, it willbe c moved gradually from this position into the position indicated in dot and dash lines, according, as the gun barrel receives an increasing positive elevation, until the maximum' elevation is reached. 'By' this means 'thebore of the throttling mei'nber G is moved into varyinginitial positions in front of the increasing cross sections ofQthe counter-rodD. 1 V

In proportion as the elevation increases the throttling of the passagelof the liquid at the commencement of the recoil will be increased in its turn, and in this manner the forces will be counteracted that tend to 'in crease the length of the recoil according to the elevation of the gun barrel,

, Besides the hereinbefore stated advantage, the maintenance of a constant length of the recoil isalso of special value in its application to guns; such as the'gun illustrated in Fig. 1, Where the breech block separates fromthe unbarrel and engages the cradle at the en lot the recoil for the purpose of acting as a rammer when it is run 'in'agaiii i'ntothe firingfposition.

1. In a fluid-pressure brake for guns, throttling mechanism comprising a cylinder and a coactingpistom said piston having an axial bore and an apertured wall for the passage of the braking fluid from one side movement of the cylinder and piston, a' profiled counter-rod fixed to the cylinder and extending through the axi'albore of the piston, a diaphragm screw-threaded in the axial bore of the piston and having a central opening registering with the counterrod' to throttle the fluid passing through the axial bore, means for holding the diaphragm against rotation when the piston'is turned so that the rotation of the piston will dis- 'ip'lace the diaphragm in the axialbore, and

means for rotating the piston to displace the diaphragm to vary the initial throttling position of the counterfrod'i'n the central opening of'the'diaphra'gmJ -2JIn a fluid pressure brake for guns,

throttling-me hanism comprising a cylinder and a coacting piston, said piston 'having an xial boi e and an apertured Wall for the passage of the braking fluid tromone side 1 ofthe piston to the other during; the rela- -tive movement ofthe cv-Iinder-and piston, a

profiledcountermod fixed to the cylinder end extending through the axial hore of the a l b ,,.-me nsf r e h dieP e P ,7 against rotation when the piston is turned mechanism actuatedby changing the elevaso that the rotation of the piston willdisplace the diaphragm in the axial bore, and

tion of the gun for rotating the piston to displace the diaphragmin-the ,axial'bo're to vary. the initial throttling position of the counter-rod 7' in the central], opening of'the diaphragm, th'e'variation inthe throttling opening beingsuch that the initial throttling is atits minimum with'rthe ,gun inia horizontal position and increases to its maximum atthe'extreme elevationof the gun;

3. In a fluid-pressure brake for gunaQa cylinder fixed to the recoilin'g'c'member of a gun-carriage, a piston coacting .with thercylinder having an apertured wall and an axial bore forithe passage ofcthe braking fluid from one side of the piston ,to i the. other as the cylinder moves on said piston, a rotatable E tubular rod fast at'its rearendto the vpiston and projecting at its forwardend beyond the cylinder with its projecting'end held-against longitudinal movement by engagementwith the non-recoilable' member of the v gun ca'ras riage, said rod having'its tubular space com- 'municating with the interior ofthe cylinder,

a profiled counter-rod fixed to the rear end'of the cylinder and extending through the axial bore of the piston into the tubular rod, a diaphragm, screw-threaded into the axial bore ofthe piston and having a central opening registering with the counter-rodto throttle the fluid "passing, through theaxial bore of the piston, said "diaphragm having mfi a sliding engagement with the counter-rod 'ton operating through its screw-threaded engagement with the diaphragm to move the latter longitudinally of the axialbore in the 7 piston to vary the initial throttling position of the counter-rod in the central openingof" the diaphragm; V

4. In a fluid-pressure brake for g1ms,*a

cylinderf fixed" to "the recoiling member ofa gun-carriage, a piston coacting with the cylinder having an apertured wall and an axial? bore "for the passage of the braking'fiuidfrom one sideof the piston to; the other as the cylinder moveslon vsaid piston; :arota- -table' tubular rod fast at its 'rear e'ndto the piston and projecting atfits forward end beyond the cylinder with its projectingcend held against flongitudinalmovement by engagement with the non-crecoilablemem-her ofthe gun-carriage; saidrod having its tubular space communicating with theginteriorlso of the cylinder, a profiled counter-rod fixed to the rear end of the cylinder and extending through the axial bore of the piston into the tubular rod, a diaphragm screw-threaded into the axial bore of the piston and having a central opening registering with the counterrod to throttle the fluid passing through the axial bore of the piston, said diaphragm having a sliding engagement with the counter-rod to be held thereby against rotation, a pinion fixed on the end of the tubular rod projecting beyond the cylinder, a toothed sector on the frame of the gun-carriage meshing with a pinion on the non-recoilable member of the gun-carriage, and a gear-drive connecting said pinion so that the oscillation of the gun-carriage through the intervening mechanism Will rotate the tubular rod and the piston carried thereby, the turning of the piston operating through its screw-threaded engagement with the diaphragm to move the latter longitudinally of the axial bore in the piston to vary the initial throttling position of the counter-rod in the central opening of the diaphragm, the timing of the variation being such that the initial throttling is at its minimum with the gun in a horizontal position and increases to its maximum at the extreme elevation of the gun.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER. 

